The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that was closely monitoring happenings in the Peoples Democratic Party Oyo State chapter of the, adding that he wants the party survive and succeed.
Wike, who made the remarks on Monday while at the 105th meeting of the PDP’s National Executive Committee in Abuja, said his focus was not limited to one state but the overall stability and progress of the PDP in the country.
He said it is not true that party members were being intimidated, adding that recent court cases had weakened such threats.
He said “some of us, by the grace of God, do not see what anyone can threaten us with. The legal battle has collapsed. They have no option but to recognise the Caretaker Committee.”
He told those he described as “vampires” to stay away from the party’s structure across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, vowing that such efforts must be resisted.
The party, he said, is waiting for clear guidance from the Caretaker Committee, particularly on the conduct of delayed congresses, which he said are essential for organising a credible national convention.
“They have no choice. We are waiting for the Caretaker Committee to give direction on the next steps, especially to ensure that congresses already due are conducted, after which we move to the National Convention,” he said.
Wike told the PDP members to abandon what he described as a culture of entitlement and return to grassroots mobilisation, warning against treating the party as a charity.
“Go to the wards. Go to the polling units. Go to the grassroots. Forget the idea that this is a charity organisation. Many people move from place to place without any political identity,” he cautioned.
He said a political party’s strength does not have to depend solely on incumbent governors, recalling his own rise within the party.
“Some people believe that if you do not have a sitting governor, then you are nothing. Who told them that? I was not a governor when I became governor. We were told we were not governors, but we became governors,” he said.
Despite the challenges facing the PDP, Wike maintained that the party remains a strong political force capable of recovery.
“The PDP is too strong, very strong. We must capitalise on what we have and move forward,” he added.
